Pole slide protector



Sept. 18, 1945. w. L. SEIDE POLE SLIDE PROTECTOR Filed April 27, 1945 WILLIAM L. SEIDE.

, upstanding sleeve or Patented Sept. 18, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT oer-ice 2,385,305 POLE SLIDE PROTECTOR William L. Selde, Rochester, N. Y. Application April 27, 1945, Serial No. 590,651 2'Claims. (Cl. 227-41) The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in pole slides ior firemen, and more particularly to a protector positioned at the bottom of the pole to prevent persons from standing in the way of firemen when sliding down the pole.

In fire engine houses it is the practice to provide a pole slide extending from the sleeping quarters to the main floor oi the building and down which the firemen are accustomed to slide to enable them to more quickly reach their stations on the fire apparatus at the main floor oi the building and frequently injury has been caused to persons standing at the bottom of the pole in the path of the descending firemen.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a protector at the bottom of the pole arid which will prevent persons coming into close contact with the pole in the path of the descending firemen.

More specifically, the invention embodies an bottom of the pole and into which the firemen drop during descent on the pole togetherflwith trip-actuated counterbalancing means for the chamber surrounding the being slidably received in protector to raise the same upwardly as soon as the first person descending the pole reaches the bottom thereof, whereby to elevate the protector into an out-of-the-way position so as not to impede the movements of the persons after reaching the bottom or the pole.

A further object of a device of this character of simple and practical construction, which is efficient and reliable in operation, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and install in operative position with respect to the pole slide, and which is otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and o eration as more fully hereinafter described claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a side elevational view with parts broken away and shown in section.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken. substantially on a line 2-2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view illustrating the latch mechanism. I Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, wherein have disclosed for the purpose of illustration I i the cord or the invention is to provide attached to the a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5 designates a pole slide of conventional construction which rises from the ground floor 6 of a building upwardly through an opening 1 in the second floor 8 of the building, the opening I being of a. size suitable for accommodating a other persons desiring to quickly an upper floor to a lower floor oi a building.

A cylindrical sleeve or protector 8 surrounds the pole 5 and is open at each end, the sleeve or protector being of a size sumcient to accommodate a person descending on the pole 5.

A plurality of vertical guide rods Ill extend downwardly from the upper floor I to a position below the upper edge 0! the sleeve 0, the rods M notches II at the outer edged the flared upper end" l2 of the sleeve 9, the sleeve being; adapted to slide vertically on the, guide rods I! in spaced relation from the pole-(c5 Tattle-upper edge cf'the sleeve I is attached a, cable I! extending upwardly over pulleys ll and to the other end of which is attached a weight l5.

A trip cord It also has one end attached to cable It and extends downwardly over a pulley l1 and around a pulley I! attached to the lower floor I in a direction toward the lower end of the sleeve 9. The lower end of the trip cord I is provided with a ring I! adapted for engagement by a pivoted hook at pivotally fioor 8 by means of a pin 2|, the rear end or the hook being formed with a finger 22 extending under one edge of a platform 28 at the bottom of the pole 5 and enclosed within the lower end of the sleeve 9. The platform 1! is yieldably supported in an elevated position on a plurality of springs 24.

.In the operation of the device, the sleeve 9 is normally retained in its lowermost position by the trip hook it engaging the ring I! which secures the weight I! in its raised position, as in Figure l of the drawing.

The first person descending the pole 5 will strike the platform 23 and thus raise the trip hook Ill upwardly out of engagement with the ring ll, thereby to release the weight I! and which pulls the sleeve 9 upwardly into a position at the top of the pole 5, as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 1.

The sleeve 9 is thus of persons descending removed out of the way the pole i. The persons descending the pole 5 slide downwardly through the sleeve to the lower end 01 the pole.

Should the trip device 20 fall to function, persons descending the pole 5 into the sleeve 9 may leave the sleeve by means of a door 25 in one side thereof, the door being hingedly mounted along one verticaledze, as indicated at 26, and adapted for. outward swinging movement, as indicated in Figure 2 01' the drawing.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the sleeve 9 serves as a protector for persons who might be standing on the floor 6 adjacent the bottom of the pole 5 so that persons descending the pole will not strike any one at the lower end thereof.

It is believed the details of construction, operation and advantages of the device will be readily understood by those skilled in the art without further detailed explanation.

It will be understood that various changes in 20 the construction and arrangement of the parts forming the inventionmay be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I 25 claim is:

1. A protector for pole slides comprising a cylindrical member open at each end and surrounding the pole in spaced relation therefrom and adapted to receive persons sliding down the pole, counterbalanein'g means for the protector, and trip means actuated by a person descending the pole and operatively connected to said counterbalancing means for releasing th latter to raise the protector into an elevated position.

2. A pole slide protector comprising a cylindrical member open at each end and surrounding the pole, vertical guide means slidably engaged by saidcylindrical member, counterbalancing means connected to the cylindrical member for raising the latter, a trip for said counterbalancing means normally securing the cylindrical member in its lower position, and a spring-supported platform at the lower end of the pole within said cylindrical member and actuated by a person descending the pole to release the trip for raising said cylindrical member above the lower portion of the pole.

WILLIAM L. SEIDE. 

